Montreal's water shuttle ships out with expanded service to as far away as Varennes

Genevive Blanchette took the day off work Mondayandhopped on a water shuttle on its way toMontreal,her daughter in tow.

She wanted to relax and catch a film, she said, and the boat, part of the region's public transit network, was the perfectoption for getting to the city from Montreal's South Shore.

"You have no car to drive. No traffic. No parking to pay for and try to find," she said.

Blanchette was among the first to take advantage of the water bus as it was launched for theseason, andofficials have announced they're expanding the service to cover a greaterdistance over an extended season with longer daily hours.

The shuttles will stay in operation through mid-October, the Autorit rgionale de transport mtropolitain (ARTM) said.

Benot Gendron, head of the ARTM, said the shuttles drew nearly 256,000 passengers last year. The serviceis still being operated as a pilot project this season, but itwill now include a link between Pointe-aux-Trembles and Varennes, northeast of Montreal island.

"We start earlier than last year, and we are going to go later in the season," said Gilles Tanguay, director of operations for Croisires Navark, the companycontracted by ARTM to run the water shuttle service between Montreal,Boucherville, Varennes and Longueuil's le Charron.

"More days of operation, and the days are longer. We finish laterand start earlier."

Another company, Croisires AML, operates the routebetween le Sainte-Hlne, Longueuil and Montreal's Old Port.

Free service between Boucherville, Montreal

Most of the routes operated by Navark are running seven days a week with extended hours and departures every 45 minutes.

Tanguay said the water shuttlebetween Boucherville and the Montreal borough of MercierHochelaga-Maisonneuveis alsoabsolutely free.

The first departure is at 5:45 a.m. from Monday to Friday. On weekends, service begins at 10:15 a.m. from Boucherville and 11 a.m. from Montreal.

That free shuttle service will run until 9:30 p.m. between June 17 and Sept. 4. Before June 17 and from Sept. 5 to Oct. 15, the service will be available untilabout 7:15 p.m.

"The river shuttle between Boucherville and Montreal is one of the many public transit mitigation measures offered to citizens affected by the work on the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel," said Transport MinisterGenevive Guilbaultin a news release.

"Its popularity last year proves that the service meets a real need. Every trip that can be made other than by car counts."

Weekends, holidays only tole Charron

The exception to the seven-day-a-week schedule isthe routebetween Quai du parc de la PromenadeBellerive in Montreal and Longueuil's le Charron, which will run only onweekends and public holidays.

Disembarking at le Charrongives shuttle passengersaccess to the public park facilities there andat les-de-Bouchervilleprovincial park.

As for the routesservedby AML, there's one between the Old Port, le Sainte-Hlne and Longueuil's Plaisance Port that will be in operation untilOct. 15, seven days a week, starting at 9 a.m.

There will also be a weekend and holiday express shuttle to Plaisance Port fromJune 16 to Sept. 4, starting at 9:30 a.m.

On both AML routes, the water shuttles depart every 60 minutes.

Shuttle tickets are $5.50 each way, but free for kids up to age 11. Opus cards loaded with amonthly subscription that coverszones A, B andC can be used forthe service.

More information will be available on Chrono, an application that shows all public transit options in the region. Google Maps will be helping people plan their water shuttle routes as well this year, the ARTM says.

Due to flooding, some routes originally scheduled to start May 15 are not yet in operation. For example, stops in Varennes and le Sainte-Hlne aren't available for now.

Dwayne Spark, who tookthe ferry Monday, said he enjoys the commute by boat to Montreal's Old Port when the weather is nice.

"You take a little boat ride and relax, with no traffic and stuff like that," said Spark. "I am very much into boating, so I am into the ride. It's a different way to see the city, as well."